European Beauty: Where Quality And Quantity Unite

The sustainability that many American cosmetic companies adopt for sales and trend purposes is one that seems a genuine mission in the European community. Translation: it is quite rare to find a large, established cosmetic company in America that is creating products without harmful chemicals, in a sustainable manufacturing setting, simply because it is the right thing to do. In Europe, things appear less trend driven. However, we’d venture a guess that this is not simply because European business owners are more ethical than their American counterparts. The truth comes from the top—regulation, or in America, a lack thereof regarding cosmetics ingredients. Where natural means next to nothing in the American personal care market, it means something in European apothecaries. While the American government is contemplating standards for the cosmetics market that mirror food packaging requirements, one has to wonder what would happen to the beauty industry if the popular drugstore brands suddenly had to jigger manufacturing processes and chemical formulas to remove ingredients such as SLS, or the common foaming ingredient known as sodium lauryl sulfate. So what’s a beauty junkie to do in this dilemma?

As Patriotic Americans, we are never one to discourage buying American products, especially if they are made in the U.S.A, but consumers must decide for themselves—which came first—disease or chemicals. The many lifestyle trends in beauty and wellness sectors—such as natural, organic, vegan, gluten-free, and raw—may be a response to cancer, infertility and other common modern ailments some think are tied to the chemicals. The argument is often: if you wouldn’t eat it, why put it on your skin, where it will be absorbed. However, we might never know if diseases became more widespread or if the chemicals contributed. While you wager your bet on the nature versus nurture debate, consider one German beauty business veteran, Logona.

Germany-based Logona opened its doors in 1978 and boasts certification from Germany’s natural standards organization, hence the BDIH seal on products. BDIH requirements, which must all be passed to be deemed Certified Natural Cosmetics, stipulate that products do not use lanolin, silicon, paraffin, synthetic fragrances, petroleum, benzyl alcohol, and other potentially harsh or allergic ingredients, as well as no testing of end products on animals. The company has a line for every group and more than 200 products, with a few collections for babies and men. The remaining brands cater primarily to women, including Pur, a skincare collection for sensitive skin; Age Protection, skincare line for mature skin; and the holistic-inspired Sante line, which includes face, body, makeup, hair and research-backed fluoride-free toothpastes.

The Sante Lotus & White Tea group is a gentle collection of facial products that soothes and moisturizes skin and helps ease light inflammation. The collection is the perfect winter regimen for those residing in a cold Northern climate. The creamy Anti Stress Mask Lotus & White Tea is packed with jojoba, organically-grown Argan oil, white tea and lotus blossom to calm skin and tighten pores, and leaves the skin hydrated hours later. The Sante makeup collection includes 24 nail polish colors without formaldehyde and toluene, an acetate-free polish remover with an ethanol base, and 28 lipstick colors without synthetic preservatives, colors or flavors. For the mane, Sante haircare is free of peroxide and ammonia, as are the regular Logona brand haircare options, which come in cream and powder formulas, and include ingredients such as henna, rhubarb and chamomile.

Where:
Logona prices range from $4.99 for a 6.8 ounce bottle of liquid soap to $12.99 for foundation to $30 for eye gel. For more information or to buy products online, visit the U.S. website of Logona.